6 lines · 106 words · 0:29 read aloud
The Elephant in the Dark
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Rumi tells of an elephant brought to a town where no one had ever seen one.
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It was kept in a dark house. People went in one by one, feeling with their hands.
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One touched the trunk and said, it is like a water pipe. Another touched the ear and said, a fan.
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One felt a leg and said, a pillar. One felt the back and said, a throne.
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Each was partly right, and each was sure. If one of them had carried a candle, Rumi says, they would have stopped arguing.
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So before you argue, ask yourself. Which part of the elephant am I holding?
